On 17 April 2026, OKKO released the documentary Pasha Tekhnik. Who Stands Behind the Underground — directed by Vladislav Kuznetsov, written by Danya Pornorep (Daniil Bashta), and produced by Gavriil Gordeyev and Vladimir Todorov. The film covers the period from the early 2000s through 2025 and is structured in three acts. Cultural publications and Telegram channels reacted to the release.
Daily Afisha
Daily Afisha (Russian culture magazine) published a full review under the headline "Sterile doc or the institutionalisation of the king of the underground?" — the title itself names the central question the publication raises about the film. The piece was co-written by music editor Lyosha Gorbash and editor Shura Bogacheva.
Gorbash describes the film as an attempt "to understand what stood behind Pasha: not just the underground, but a great deal of humanity in its many forms." Bogacheva notes that the choice of certain interviewees — journalist Sergei Minaev, State Duma deputy Vladislav Davankov, pop singer Glukoza — sparked debate among early viewers: some found the selection incongruous, while others read it as a reflection of how far Tekhnik's cultural reach had extended. Screenwriter Pornorep frames the film's appearance on a major streaming platform as an act of institutionalisation: a man who began as an "extreme marginal" had by 2025 become the most-viewed Wikipedia page among Russian users.
The review's "sterility" critique is tied to the constraints of streaming production. At the same time, the authors acknowledge that the film does not avoid uncomfortable moments in Tekhnik's biography — addiction, threats to his wife, his death in circumstances that gave rise to the 18+ rating.
Read the full review at Daily Afisha
Moskovsky Komsomolets
On April 21, 2026, Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK) published a piece titled "The Tekhnik Affair: Why Critics Are Panning a Documentary About a Dead Musician." From the description: "A year after the death of Pavel Ivlev, better known as Pasha Tekhnik, a documentary has been released about the musician and showman. Given the nature of its subject, Pasha Tekhnik: Behind the Underground is far from the most extravagant biopic, but the filmmakers clearly had their work cut out for them. In forty minutes, they attempted to answer why the artist generated such extraordinary attention."
Kinopoisk
Kinopoisk published a feature about the film in its media section.
Telegram reactions
Ulitsa Balabanova (@ulizabalabanova): The channel published a review by Teymur P. the day after the premiere (18 April). The author highlights the contrast between Tekhnik's public persona — "the people's meme", the perpetually-high gorilla — and a man who "quoted serious literature and understood that being a prisoner of your own image is not a joke but a verdict." The film is characterised as aimed at a mainstream audience, which, in the author's view, is precisely what will fix Tekhnik's place in Russian culture for decades. The pairing of Scally Milano and Sergei Minaev as fellow talking heads is described as surreal but telling.
The Flow (@superslowflow): The channel shared the trailer on 13 April, four days before the premiere. The post outlines the film's structure: three acts, the period from the early 2000s to 2025, previously unpublished archive footage, and AI-generated animated sketches. Director: Vladislav Kuznetsov. Screenwriter: Daniil Bashta (Danya Pornorep). The post reached 10,800 views.
The Flow (@superslowflow): An earlier post from the same channel — the first public announcement of the project going into production (May 2025). Details include that the concept originated with OKKO's general producer Gavriil Gordeyev and documentary content producer Vladimir Todorov. The post received 50,400 views.
Okko Кино (@okkomovies): The platform's official Telegram channel announced the project in May 2025. The description framed the film as an attempt to answer who Pasha Tekhnik really was, "and why he will be remembered even by those who never encountered his work."
Vladislav Davankov (@davankov/1969): State Duma deputy and one of the film's interviewees published a post titled "The Real Pasha Tekhnik," describing his on-camera interview: "We talked about Pasha's style and his genuine love of clothing, because that was an important part of his life. The film itself is an attempt to assemble a real portrait of Pasha — not the one everyone knows from memes or music. The real one."
Forbes Young (@forbes_young/5153): The channel included the film in its weekly premiere roundup alongside While the Sky Watches and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Who is Da Boss (@whoisdb/3213): A review headlined "TRAGEDY OF OBSERVATIONS": "Documentaries about musicians have an inherent problem: they are never watched from the same vantage point."
Made in Russia (@madeinrussia/36502): Premiere announcement: "Today marks the premiere of a documentary about Pasha Tekhnik — one of the most contradictory figures in the Russian-language music scene."
Ulitsa Balabanova (@ulizabalabanova/29582): A second publication from the channel covering the film.
Screening Q&A
On April 29, 2026, a special screening of the film with a Q&A session with the team took place at the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center (Moscow). Event page
Related posts
- Film premiere on OKKO — release post from April 17, 2026
Where to watch
Pasha Tekhnik. Who Stands Behind the Underground is on OKKO. More details on the project page.
